Danny Elfman on Scoring for a Disney Ride

With credits for “Batman” (1989), “Spider-Man” (2002) and this year’s “Oz: The Great and Powerful” under his belt, the film composer Danny Elfman jumped at the chance to try something new: creating the music for Mystic Manor, a new Disneyland ride in Hong Kong.

“I liked the idea of the challenge,” he says.

The story behind Mystic Manor—the centerpiece of Hong Kong Disneyland’s new Mystic Point themed area—is an antique-cluttered Victorian mansion in a remote tropical jungle, owned by an eccentric British explorer. Guests ride in carriages through the creaky dwelling’s dark and dusty rooms, as the collection of artifacts spring to life. Figures in Chinese art leap off the walls, Roman frescos come alive, musical instruments play themselves, and floating headgear from armored suits sing in three languages: Mandarin, Cantonese and English. (“It’s me singing in English, by the way,” Mr. Elfman says.)

If that sounds a bit like another Disneyland attraction, it was intentional. “It’s like a cousin to the Haunted Mansion,” he says of the ride that made a distinct impression on him as a youth at California’s Disneyland. “This is part of my own musical DNA.”

Mr. Elfman, who gained fame in the 1970s as a member of the rock group Oingo Boingo, is known for his frequent work with filmmaker Tim Burton, including “Edward Scissorhands” (1990), “Planet of the Apes” (2001) and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005). He also composed the music for the “Men in Black” trilogy, as well as the instantly recognizable opening theme to the long-running television series, “The Simpsons.” He spoke with the Journal at the recent opening of Mystic Manor. Edited excerpts: